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So they think they can dance

Now in its eighth year, the event also features workshops, dance performances and an urban choreography championship. It takes place Oct. 27 to 29 at Daniels Spectrum in Regent Park.

The Skills X Soul Battles at this year’s Toronto Urban Dance Skill Fest will require competitors to do some improvisation. (E.S. CHEAH)

The high-energy dance battle, called Skills X Soul, goes on for two days. On Oct. 28, up to 12 teams will participate in a qualifying round. The following day, eight teams compete in the final tournament, and competitors dance head-to-head, improv-style, to a variety of music, anything from the Beatles to Mozart or Whitney Houston to the Bee Gees.

“The idea behind this is to showcase urban dance and urban dance culture, focusing on artistry, authenticity and athleticism, because this style of dance requires lots of physical training,” explains Ofilio Sinbadinho, who is co-artistic director of the festival along with Apolonia Velasquez.

While most of the dancers in the battle are selected by Sinbadinho and Velasquez to compete, there are spots available within the qualifying round for anyone who has a passion for dance.

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“We encourage all dancers: any age, culture, gender, orientation or race. We want to show the diversity that exists in Canada — that’s the beauty of the competition,” says Sinbadinho.

How does it work? One member of a two-member team goes in and improvises to music selected by Sinbadinho and Velasquez. He or she has one minute to interpret the music and express his or her artistry. Then a member of another team goes in and dances to the same music. It might be a continuation of the previous dancer’s interpretation, or it might be something completely different — their own take on the music. The judges (who are the other competitors) decide which interpretation is most captivating based on originality, technique and team chemistry. Teams are eliminated until a winning team remains.

Part of the excitement of the event is the selection of participating teams, announced in the weeks leading up to the competition.

“Most of the dancers we invite are internationally known. They’re professional dancers who compete around the world, but they’re all Canadians or reside in Canada, and they all come from a variety of different backgrounds,” says Sinbadinho.

However, as Sinbadinho says, the “wildcard” teams that get in as part of the qualifying round come from all walks of life, and their passion is often their ticket into the competition.

One such dancer is Vinny Alayo, a Toronto-area baker who came into the battle a few years ago as an amateur dancer and ended up almost winning the whole competition.

“There were only a couple of slots and I was able to make it into the battle and compete against a lot of famous dancers. It’s my dream to be a dancer, so to make it there and battle with all these outstanding performers was amazing! The level of the dancers was really inspiring and the whole event is so great,” says Alayo.

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It’s this level of fun and excitement that makes the competition fun to watch for all dance fans.

“Most of the people who come to watch the competition aren’t dancers. But it’s so inspiring to watch and there’s lots of yelling and cheering,” says Sinbadinho. “It opens your mind to different levels about what art is – it showcases the energy and vibrancy of sport with art and creativity. We want to see more people influenced by this and express themselves in a creative way. It translates to so many good things in life.”

Alayo adds: “Watching the battles really inspired me to do it, and now when I bring someone to watch the competition, they absolutely love it!”

And it’s just as inspiring for the performers. They’re encouraged to represent themselves as individuals and just for one night, forget their dance genre and just go freestyle.

Dancers and spectators can visit tuds.ca for information on competing and the events, and to purchase tickets. Tickets are $29 per day, or $45 for the entire three-day festival.

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